Boss Cat
Still an elegant cat, but those looking for a dynamic drive might come away wanting something more.
Lightweight and nimble, subtly aggressive new looks, exclusivity 
Dated interior, clunky J-gate shifter After a little grooming, Jaguar’s flagship still purrs
By Derryn Wong
IT’S AN INTERESTING time to be a fan of the classic British marque. The X-Type and the XJ are the last of the old Jaguars which are generally perceived as having tons of personality, but simply couldn’t match up to rivals (read: Germans).
Jaguar will turn that around though, if the XK and what we’ve heard of the new XF are anything to go by , they will be able to make a modern day automotive equivalent of D-Day, assuming whoever gets ownership of them doesn’t make a complete mess of it.
A complete revamp of the stable should happen by 2011, when the XJ is rumoured to be replace. Meanwhile, the current XJ has gotten the regular mid-life grooming treatment. The verdict? The XJ has always been one of the best ‘old’ Jaguars around and it still is a very viable contender in the luxury saloon market.
As far as facelifts go, the XJ has gotten a pretty serious working over on the front end, which now features much enlarged centre and side air-intakes. There are also new side-vents astern of the front wheels, to make the XJ have a family resemblance to the XK grand tourer. The overall effect makes the car look a little more British gangster than dapper gentleman of old.
Engine-wise there isn’t much change. The 2,967cc V6 engine pumps out 240bhp at 6,800rpm which is enough to give the big Jag a 0-100km/h time of 8.1 seconds, a tad slower than its German rivals. More impressive is the peak 300Nm of torque, made at 4,100rpm, which shoves the car forward like the proverbial scalded cat and makes highway overtaking easy.
While BMW’s 730Li makes only 18bhp more than the Jaguar, it is 0.2 seconds faster in the century sprint. The XJ however, is an amazing 365kg lighter with at kerb weight of 1,545kg. That’s even lighter than an Audi TT coupe.
This is made possible through the XJ’s all -aluminium chassis. Combining this with Jaguar’s CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension) active suspension means the XJ is a deceptively agile car despite its 5.2-metre length, slinking around corners and U-turns with ease, though it could use a little more direct steering. The benefits of the car’s light weight are also manifested in the way it brakes and accelerates easily.
A six-speed automatic gearbox handles shifting duties well in regular drive mode, but the classic J-gate shifter (which allows you to shift only from gears two to five manually) is a bit clunky and takes away some of the control.
On the inside the only differences are redesigned seats for more comfort and rear-legroom, which they do deliver, and new Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free conversations. The cabin does exhibit old-school styling (dated, if you want to be negative) but it works for some.
It does look to be getting on in age and 0some buttons feel cheap, having no place in what is a $250k+ luxury car.
The cabin does have a cocooning quality to it though and all the controls are also wonderfully simple to use, compared to other cars which make you feel like you’re trying to fly a spaceship when you want to turn down the radio.
NEED TO KNOW
Jaguar XJ6 L 3.0 (A)
ENGINE TYPE 2,967cc, 24 V6
MAX POWER 240bhp at 6,800rpm
MAX TORQUE 300Nm at 4,100rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic
TOP SPEED 233km/h
0-100KM/H 8.1 seconds
PRICE $261,000 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years / 100,00km
CONTACT Malayan Motors
TELEPHONE 6473 7755